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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A day after a federal judge in Charlotte allowed Jeremy Mayfield to again compete in NASCAR Sprint Cup series events, Mayfield and his team missed the deadline to enter in Saturday night's race at Daytona International Speedway.

His only hope is to participate as a relief driver, a change NASCAR must approve.

Although not at the track Thursday, Mayfield was the topic of conversation among drivers.

NASCAR indefinitely suspended Mayfield on May 9 for testing positive for methamphetamine. Mayfield challenged the test in court and was granted an injunction that ends his indefinite suspension as the court case proceeds.

Ryan Newman questioned the judge's action.

"When somebody tests positive, it is something to be seriously considered," Newman said. "When you as a federal judge release somebody to go back and (drive) without necessarily, in my eyes, clarifying everything, that's not cool. People make mistakes. I just hope the judge didn't make one."

Mark Martin shares a similar concern, although he stressed he didn't have concerns racing with Mayfield.

"I do, however, have a problem with NASCAR not being able to say you can't," Martin said of the injunction. "That is a problem for our sport. They need to be the authority. They need to be able to say if you do or if you don't."

Jeff Gordon, one of three drivers who signed affidavits for NASCAR stating that he would not want to be on the track with someone who tested positive, said he won't race Mayfield any differently.

"I didn't have any issues with Jeremy on the track prior to all this going on," Gordon said.

Kasey Kahne suggested that there have been changes with drug testing of drivers since Mayfield's court case.

Kahne said he was tested at Infineon Raceway. He said that previously, his testing went quicker than it did at the California track.

"It's a process now," Kahne said. "Every little step you have to sign your name or initial. You have to initial every step through the whole process. It took about 40 minutes it seemed at (Infineon)."

Greg Biffle, who said he was tested last week at New Hampshire, said he didn't notice a change in how the process went from earlier in the season.

Mayfield's team not competing this weekend isn't surprising. He's stated in an affidavit that since the suspension he's lost his sponsor and any potential sponsors. That forced him to lay off 10 employees, and he and his wife have had to borrow money from relatives. Getting a team ready to compete on short notice proved too much for Mayfield to have a car ready for this weekend.

With that looking like a long shot and Mayfield yet to arrive at Daytona, NASCAR questioned the need for the injunction.

"Jeremy and his legal team asked for a temporary injunction for emergency relief because it was necessary apparently to come compete here in Daytona," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston told The Associated Press. "Apparently, he's not here and it appears as if he's not going to compete this weekend, which would raise some questions on how much of an emergency it really was."

Next week, the series runs at Chicagoland Speedway. If Mayfield is not ready to resume racing at that point, there's an off weekend before Indianapolis.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.